Oregon, Part 1

We found out a sad thing today.  Whatever that waterfall was that Jeremy took pictures of is not Klamath Falls.  Apparently, there is no Klamath Falls.  I am so confused.  But we're only 45 minutes from Crater Lake, so we're really hoping to get the chance to see that tomorrow.

The drive was... interesting.
Very appropriately, it rained, then snowed, then rained the entire drive.

Oh, and the winds?  Crazy winds.  It was intense.

I don't think it helped that I was snapping pictures.  Hey, here comes some snow!  Look, kids!  Snow!

Oh.  It keeps coming.  And we don't have chains...

And then... then... 4-year-old uttered the words you never want to hear when a rest stop - or anything - is nowhere in site, "Mommy, I drank too much water and now I have to go potty real bad.  The pee pee is hurting me."  Well then...

Would you have done anything different?  Then I looked behind me and discovered what happens when you give a 21-month-old a granola bar with chocolate drizzles.

Word to the wise, don't let chocolate set on faces unless you want to scrub a screaming toddler for three and a half minutes.  But we made it.  And we are staying in the coolest Best Western ever.  Where else do they look like log cabins and are decorated with full-sized stuffed animals.  No, not teddy bears.  Real ones.

 My kids were thrilled to see the TV in our room.  We watched in awe a pug who surfs, snowboards, and skateboards.  We miss so much not owning a TV.  Wow, and they make TVs so thin and long these days...

Jer's leading at a women's conference; that's why we get to be here.  These ladies are amazing.  Absolutely welcoming, gracious, and full of anticipation of what God wants to do this weekend.  The kids and I went wild over the treats in the green room.  How wondrous!  Jeremy cooly informed me these sorts of things are very normal.  Food waiting for me on a pretty table is not normal in my world.  It's magical.

And yes, you do see a large, stuffed owl in the background.  He was the highlight of 4-year-old's day.  I think he was monitoring how many goodies I shoveled in my mouth.  Okay, Mr. Owl, I'll stop now.  Stop staring at me, please.

And now, the kids are actually sleeping, and I am finishing my fourth warm cookie, complements of Best Western.  I was only going to have two, but the oatmeal raisin I picked up was stuck to another, and I already touched it, so...

Travel is fun.  Not having to clean up after making food is mind-blowing, but I do miss preparing and serving it.  Oregon has a very different feel than California.  It seems... calm, slow (in a good way), and content, uncaring of what the outside world might think of it.  But I'm realizing how much of a homebody I really am.  It's only been 10 hours since we left, but I miss it.  I miss writing Katie's Quick Home-keeping Hints. Maybe I'll whip one out while the kids zone out in wonder to cartoons in the hotel room tomorrow morning.  Thinking about writing about home is making me happy.  I miss my hens.  I miss my bed.   I even miss that big, dumpy Black Jack and I want to squeeze him and feel him purr right now.   There's no place like home, there's no place like home...